South-Central Spotlight: Ten notable decommitments from 2021 class
The 2021 class has certainly experienced a strange recruiting process and that has led to decommitments and, in some cases, flips. This week, we break down 10 of the more notable decommitments that have occurred in the South-Central part of the country.
*****
RELATED: Ten notable Midwest decommitments | Southeast | East Coast | West
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker
*****
One of the signature decisions that altered the course of the 2021 recruiting cycle both locally and nationally was Milroe's flip from Texas to Alabama. Milroe, a Rivals100 prospect, is currently tabbed as the top quarterback in the Lone Star State in this recruiting class.
He was an early pledge to the Longhorns, a decision that was made after Drake Maye committed to the Tide and Eli Stowers followed suit to Texas A&M. That opened the door for Milroe to pick Texas and emerge as the face of the class as recently as last summer.
Days after Texas secured a commitment from five-star junior Quinn Ewers, Milroe followed his heart to Tuscaloosa, which gives Alabama another stellar quarterback to add to its roster and another Texan in the country's star-studded No. 1 class.
Justin Fuentes and the Hokies generated plenty of buzz when they dipped into Texas and scored a commitment from four-star Dematrius Davis, now a two-time state champion in search of his third beginning on Friday night. Davis picked Virginia Tech over notable in-state schools like Baylor and Texas A&M, where his best friend and Rivals100 receiver Shadrach Banks is pledged to, as well as LSU.
However, the Hokies' momentum in Texas waned as Chad Morris began recruiting Davis for Auburn. The first-year Tigers offensive coordinator is well-aware of what Davis has accomplished on the prep landscape and is bringing a proven winner to The Plains.
Credit Adeleye for no shortage of drama during a CoVid-19-dominated offseason. The five-star defensive end pledged to Ohio State over Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida in April out of the blue, despite a noted Aug. 1 commitment date in place. Adeleye quickly became the face of the Buckeyes' 2021 class, which is battling for the top haul in the country and picked up plenty of momentum during the stay-at-home orders in the spring.
When Adeleye backed off that commitment in August, it surprised even the Ohio State staff. Adeleye has opted out of his senior season and continues to give close looks to Alabama, Texas A&M and Florida, among others, and will be one of the bigger dominoes to drop in December.
Remember recruiting visits pre-CoVid-19? You'd have to recall a weekend in early March when McCutchin made his way to Oklahoma for his first visit to a school not located in Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the first time. Then, McCutchin -- a longtime Alabama commitment -- got to interact with Lincoln Riley and co. in-person for the first time.
McCutchin had pressed reset on his recruitment by the time he returned home to Austin, and by July, he had pledged to the Sooners. Still, the Tide finished second in this sweepstakes for one of the best defensive backs in the country, who will return to the field for live action on Friday for the first time in more than a year.
Davis' recruitment has seen its fair shares of peaks and valleys over the years. The Rivals100 wide receiver was an early SMU commitment that loved the idea of representing his city. An offer from Texas stirred the pot and it didn't take long for Tom Herman to get one of the state's most promising pass-catchers on-board.
Davis, again, had a change of heart and wound up choosing USC in the spring. Several members of USC's staff were on the Longhorns staff that was so high on Davis early on. Now, the Trojans boast pledges from a trio of Texans with Davis headlining the haul.
Neville had flirted with committing to an array of different schools over the past two years, ranging from Texas to Oklahoma to LSU. In the spring, the four-star wideout's eyes were opened by the potential of bringing some Texas heat to Blacksburg, Va. F
ellow Houston-area standout Dematrius Davis recruited Neville to Virginia Tech with him. Ultimately, momentum dwindled, leading Davis to Auburn and Neville to pick Nebraska on July 4, giving Scott Frost a big-bodied, playmaking wideout to plug in to his offense.
Watson was an early LSU commitment a year ago, but mutually, the edge-rusher and Tigers parted ways. Virginia Tech emerged as a favorite for the Austin-area defensive end before Arizona State, TCU, Florida State, Texas Tech and Baylor all got involved.
In the end, Watson found a home in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs have successfully recruited Hutto High well in the past -- just ask Jeremy Kerley. That's a strong play for Gary Patterson keeping Watson in-state.
Like the aforementioned Davis and Neville, Martin was swayed to Virginia Tech amid the Hokies' momentum on the recruiting trail. However, quickly after suffering from a change of heart, Colorado issued an offer to Arkansas' No. 2-ranked prospect and began recruiting the three-star defensive tackle feverishly. Martin committed to the Buffs midway through the summer and is the second-highest-rated recruit in the fold.
Rogers wasted zero time committing to the in-state Razorbacks shortly after landing an offer from first-year offensive coordinator Kendal Briles. While Arkansas is anxious to replenish its depth chart with a new staff in place, Rogers figured to be one of two signal-callers for the Hogs in the 2021 cycle.
The second came in the form of San Antonio three-star Lucas Coley, the QB MVP from RCS Houston back in March. Rogers backed off his commitment shortly after and entertained strong pushes from the likes of Houston and Kansas before Briles was able to get the Little Rock, Ark., standout back on-board in July. Arkansas not only landed both of their quarterbacks for 2021, but kept the state's best at the position home.
Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck made noise in the spring by landing a commitment from Regis, an uber-talented Houston-area defensive tackle that makes a slew of plays on both sides of the ball for La Porte High. That commitment was short-lived, however, and after reopening his process Regis procured offers from Texas A&M, Texas, Arkansas and Ole Miss. As he gears up for his senior campaign, odds are that Regis plays his college ball somewhere in-state.